A Canadian citizen has been sentenced to more than five years in federal prison after pleading guilty to a firearms violation in the Eastern District of Texas. Jahtaya O’Dayjah Hamilton, 24, from Ontario, Canada, was sentenced to 63 months by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on September 16, 2025.
Authorities said that on November 6, 2024, Hamilton traveled from Ontario to Houston and obtained 22 firearms. Among these were four stolen guns and a short-barrel rifle acquired from an unidentified firearms trafficker. Hamilton then hired a rideshare driver for transportation from Houston to Little Rock, Arkansas, with her initial intention being travel to New York state.
The vehicle carrying Hamilton was stopped by law enforcement in Angelina County for a traffic violation. Officers reported smelling marijuana during the stop and conducted a search of the vehicle. The search led to the discovery of the firearms and Hamilton’s arrest.
"This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN)."
The investigation involved cooperation between the Angelina County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald S. Carter prosecuted the case.
